


Briala's Reprieve

by irebelasmavhenan



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24427240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irebelasmavhenan/pseuds/irebelasmavhenan
Summary: Coffee and Kindness.
Relationships: Briala/Female Lavellan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Briala's Reprieve

Briala’s long curly brown hair was almost always up, her dress was perfect, her manicure refined. Makeup perfect for her darker complexion.

Everything had to be just so, she had to work ten times harder for a sliver of the recognition of the other professors.

Orlais’ Academy of the fine arts didn’t usually accept elves so it was a testament to her talent, knowledge and connections she carefully cultivated.

However if you asked her colleague Gaspard it was her relations with his cousin, the former headmaster.

She pushed the thought out of her head as she had to focus on her students assignments, she was teaching a course on ancient elven art styles and modern homages. Though given the complaints she received for her impassioned speeches about how poor taste the human attempts at elven art is, she knew her days teaching this course were numbered.

She’d keep her job of course, she knew a lot of secrets. Secrets the old and the new headmaster would not wish to be known.

“Here, for the quiet thinker.” A cup was placed in front of her, gently next to her papers and she was removed from the twisted labyrinth of her thoughts and back into the campus cafe, the proprietor had left already but from the smell of her floral perfume Briala recognized her.

Sai Lavellan, a graduate turned business owner who made money from the staff and students' need for caffeine and sugar.

The art teacher smiled down at the cup, the corners of her mouth crinkling a little. 

\---

“Penny for your thoughts?” Sai asked her , the younger elves' long red hair was buzzed short, earrings in each ear, little snakes. Briala hadn’t realized she’d been staring for so long until she spoke.

“I like the jacket.” She chose to say, instead of mentioning how that act of kindness weeks ago mended and reinforced her resolve. 

The jacket was denim and the woman who wore it a beauty, Briala had no qualms with admitting. This was mostly due to the evident laugh lines on her face, Briala missed laughing like that.

“Thanks teach, you stay safe now okay?” Sai told her softly, pushing her brown hair behind her ear and grinning bashfully as Briala blushed at the contact.

\---

“You are soft on her.” Felassan said to her after one of the faculty meetings that often put them both to sleep, though he wasn’t officially a member of staff, only a consultant. 

“I am no such thing! She just is kind to me....sometimes.”

Her friend smiles a little at that “A port in a storm?”

She groans.

\----

“You should just ask the high and mighty professor out Sai.” Briala’s ears perk at that and she stops just dead of entering the cafe.

“Sera you dummy, she is ten times smarter, more accomplished and beautiful than I am!” 

Her face flushed, dare she assume?

“You’re the kindest person I know, not to mention the best researcher, bar none.” 

Sai was a researcher as well as a business owner? 

Briala felt dreadfully creepy eavesdropping and left before more could be heard.

\---

“You want my help?” Sai asked her two days later and Briala nodded “Just need a hand finding some sources in texts for style references of the Tevinter era.”

The cafe owner nearly fell over with excitement, grinning brightly at her, Briala blushed..

The two made plans for later that night.

“It’s a date then.” Briala said after Sai agreed to help her.

Standing there, with a kind woman who smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg and coffee smiling at her she felt two hundred feet tall for the first time in a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Dragon Age Den Theme Week #7


End file.
